Monthly Archives: June 2017

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The Extreme Sailing Series. Act 3. Madeira, Portugal. Racing close to the shore and the city of FunchalCredit – Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images

What a difference a couple of races can make in the Extreme Sailing Series. After three opening results without a podium finish the crew of Oman Air might have been forgiven for thinking the Madeira venue was not going to prove a friendly place.

How best to describe the annual Round the Island Race in association with Cloudy Bay in one word, one that neatly encapsulates the passion, competition, thrills and enjoyment shared by thousands of sailors each year?

In February 2009 over 50 messages in bottles were dropped from a fishing trawler 30 miles west of Arranmore as part of a fundraising event for the RNLI Arranmore Lifeboat. Several of the bottles were returned within a period of 8 months, located in Donegal and off the west coast of Scotland, but it took eight years for Aileen Proctor’s bottle to reach Hustadvika on the western shore of Norway. The bottle was found by Peter Lefstad Dalsbø who very kindly returned the message to the lifeboat station recently.

– IDEC Sport and MACIF battle it out at the front
– Joyon: “It reminds me of my English Transats”– QM2 passes site where they rescued a stricken solo sailor two weeks ago

Map and ranking at 19:00 (French time)

The Queen Mary 2 looks unbeatable at the front of the The Bridge – Centennial Transat but during the second day of racing on Tuesday she was finally being outpaced as the “Ultime” class trimarans behind her spread their wings and began to fly.

June 27, 2017 — A SolstadFarstad ASA platform supply vessel is to be installed with an energy storage system, gaining it the DNV-GL notation “Battery Power.” The upgrade is being made under a five-year contract awarded to SolstadFarstad by Statoil Petroleum AS to support the Statoil PSV pool at the Norwegian Continental Shelf. SolstadFarstad ASA is the new OSV player created by the merger of Solstad Offshore, Farstad Shipping and Deep Sea Supply.

Blueye Pioneer in the kelp outside Stamsund

Palo Alto, Calif., and Trondheim, Norway – June 28, 2017 – The Earth’s last frontier, the ocean, is being revealed to non-scientists for the first time with the introduction of Blueye Pioneer, an underwater drone that can dive eight times deeper than the average scuba enthusiast — up to 150 meters. Developed by Blueye Robotics, the Pioneer has capabilities that were previously found only in expensive professional equipment used by filmmakers, oceanographers and the military, but is priced at consumer levels with a user experience unlike any other underwater drone.

Blueye Pioneer’s HD wide-angle video camera uses special technologies that work in low-light conditions and can communicate true-color images, overcoming the problem of how colors change below 16 feet underwater.

“Red colors start to fade, and the undersea world becomes green or blue,” explained Christine Spiten, Co-founder and Strategy Director of Blueye Robotics.” A custom algorithm was developed to add color back in to photos and video captured by the Pioneer. Now the mysterious realm of the ocean will be accessible to anyone with a smartphone, tablet or PC in full HD quality.”

Developed in the extreme conditions of the Arctic Ocean, Blueye Pioneer has a unique combination of compact size (15 lbs.), power (three robust thrusters) and stability. Unlike other underwater drones, it can perform flawlessly in rough currents and low temperatures thanks to its unique hydrodynamic balancing design. Blueye Pioneer travels at a speed of 2.5 meters/second (5 knots).

While aerial drones have been an explosive new market segment, public interest is growing for underwater drones, with a bevy of fun, underwater, toy-like drones announced, but not yet available. Until now, no “prosumer” (amateurs using professional-grade equipment) products have been on the market and no drones for sale or in production can go as deep as Blueye Pioneer.

Headquartered in Norway, which is renowned for its world-leading subsea expertise, Blueye Robotics employs an innovative color filter design created by optics experts and control signal algorithms developed in collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Center for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems (AMOS), which is famous for its unique knowledge.

The live video transmitted by Blueye Pioneer travels through a thin cable to a surface buoy and then wirelessly to the user, who can stay dry and safe on a nearby vessel or onshore. The robot has powerful LED lights below the camera, as well as fittings for an extra payload, with replaceable batteries that can last at least two hours. Pioneer is easy to operate from a smartphone, tablet or PC.

The Pioneer has a wide variety of possible uses. As little as 10 percent of the Ocean is explored, which means Pioneer provides the opportunity for adventurous consumers to become real explorers. Boat owners get a new activity for the whole family and can explore the waters underneath them, and the drone’s lower cost will appeal to companies performing water, harbor or underwater hull inspections. Scientists may use Pioneer for environmental monitoring, and fish farmers, owners of offshore wind parks and other ocean-based enterprises can also utilize the drone’s capabilities to stay in control of their underwater operations. Early customers include The Norwegian Society for Search and Rescue, Redningsselskapet and the World Wildlife Fund, WWF Norway.

At $3,500, Blueye Pioneer has the lowest price point for a professional-grade system. Currently in beta, it will be in production beginning January 2018.

About Blueye Robotics

Blueye Robotics combines innovative ocean technology with user experience knowledge to create professional-grade underwater drones for consumers. The company’s first product is Blueye Pioneer, which can operate far deeper than other drones and is the only one of its kind offering professional-grade technology with consumers in mind. It has a special light-sensitive camera that adds back in true color imaging, and the drone delivers exceptional stability even in adverse ocean conditions. Operated via a smartphone, tablet or PC, the drone is extremely user friendly. Blueye Robotics is based in Trondheim, Norway, and Palo Alto, Calif. Visit www.BlueyeRobotics.com for more details.

Palo Alto, Calif., and Trondheim, Norway – June 28, 2017 – The Earth’s last frontier, the ocean, is being revealed to non-scientists for the first time with the introduction of Blueye Pioneer, an underwater drone that can dive eight times deeper than the average scuba enthusiast — up to 150 meters. Developed by Blueye Robotics, the Pioneer has capabilities that were previously found only in expensive professional equipment used by filmmakers, oceanographers and the military, but is priced at consumer levels with a user experience unlike any other underwater drone.